DIDSBURY - Town council has approved the 2023 operating budget, which calls for estimated total revenues and total expenditures of $12,661,210.
A projection of revenues and expenditures, the 2023 budget calls for revenues from taxes totalling $5,120,956, a four per cent increase over 2021’s total of $4,923,996.
The budget includes a 22 per cent increase in contracted municipal policing costs, which will top $650,000 in 2023.
The budget approval came during the March 28 council meeting, held in person and on YouTube. Mayor Rhonda Hunter and all councillors attended the meeting.
“What we all agreed on was that we would either maintain service levels or increase a few of our service levels, which is important in our current environment,” Hunter told the Albertan. “It was really about maintaining our service levels. Four per cent we believe is fair.”
Final approval of the budget followed numerous council discussions, including on Dec. 13, Jan. 10, Feb. 28 and March 23.
By way of comparison, the 2022 operating budget called for total expenses of $12,097,450, up from $11,640,764 in 2021, and revenues from taxes of $4,923,996, a 4.2 per cent increase from 2021.
On the expenditures side of the 2023 budget, salaries and benefits will be $4,653,120, up from 2022’s total of $4,277,560.
Utilities expenses will be $800,185, compared with $720,150 last year.
“There are costs to keep our buildings' light and heat on,” she said. “You have the carbon tax. You have the electricity rates that went up and there’s the gas costs. There are big costs to running the facilities in our community.”
Contracted municipal policing expenditures will be $655,000, up from $539,000 in 2022.
“RCMP costs went up more than $100,000,” she said. “Back when we got into our contract (with the RCMP) and had an increase of $400,000 right away we were always absorbing that. We had a reserves fund that we always put aside to absorb that cost.
“I think we need to start talking more about RCMP costs. We all know they are very worthy to our citizens, but we need to understand that our RCMP costs are significant in our budget.”
Repairs and maintenance expenses will be $687,813, down from $724,250 last year.
Training, conferences and travel expenses will be $137,855, down from $143,973 in 2022.
Advertising and printing expenses will be $70,475, compared with $107,125 last year, a 34 per cent decrease.
Professional services expenditures will be $229,800, down from $308,420 last year.
Contracted services expenses will be $782,710, down from $936,576 in 2022.
Insurance expenses will be $189,058, cup from $171,870 in 2022.
Long-term debt repayment expenses will be $563,683, up from $544,505 last year.
A total of $1,356,991 is going to reserves, up from $1,236,073 in 2022, representing a 10 per cent increase.
On the revenue side, net municipal taxation (tax revenues) will be $5,120,956, up from $4,023,996 in 2022, while utility user charges will be $3,242,114, up from $2,960,432 last year.
Government operating grants will be $1,434,498, up from $1,282,233 in 2022.
Assessments in town went up almost 12 per cent in 2023, she noted.
The complete budget is available for viewing on the town’s website.
The proposed 2023 tax rate bylaw is expected to come before council on April 11 for first reading, she said.
The 2022 tax rate for residential was 8.02365, the non-residential rate was 9.004685, the farmland rate was also 8.02365, the vacant residential rate was 8.0235, and the machinery and equipment rate was 9.04685.
